AAP win could help Congress in Goa: Congress

Panaji, Feb 10 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party's sweeping victory in Delhi could have a bearing on the Panaji bye-election due Feb 13, the Congress said Tuesday.

Speaking to IANS, Congress spokesperson Ramakant Khalap said the rout of the BJP in the national capital could bode well for its Congress candidate contesting the bye-poll.

"The BJP has got a drubbing and the Congress too has been wiped out from Delhi. But the result is against the arrogance of the BJP which will help us here," Khalap said, adding his party could benefit from a "swing from the voters who are beginning to get disillusioned by the BJP".

The Panaji bye-poll was necessitated after the elevation of Manohar Parrikar as defence minister in November.

Four candidates are contesting, which includes Parrikar's former aide Sidharth Kunkolienkar (BJP), the current mayor Surendra Furtado (Congress) and two independents.

The key battle is expected to be a close contest between the Congress and the BJP.

The BJP in Goa, while admitting that the loss in Delhi was disastrous, adds that it will not affect the polling pattern in Panaji.

"The party's showing in Delhi was unexpected and is disastrous. Sitting in Goa I cannot speculate why. It will not have any effect on the election in Goa," party spokesperson Wilfred Mesquita said.

Jubilant AAP party workers in Goa have been taking to the social media about the possibility of their party using Goa's 2017 elections as a launch pad for its national ambitions. But the party's senior leaders are more circumspect in electoral terms.

"We are over the moon. It reaffirms that the idea of AAP is not dead. For the local unit, this means a lot," says spokesperson Oscar Rebello.